Next time you think of JACL, please remember that the JACL is working in the interest of all of us- Hiroshi Shimizu, President's Outgoing Message, February 1974

A Brief History

The National JACL

Founded in 1929, the JACL is the oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization in the United States. The JACL monitors and responds to issues that enhance or threaten the civil and human rights of all Americans and implements strategies to effect positive social change, particularly to the Asian Pacific American community. Our society continues to be impacted by the events of September 11, 2001, which created a worldwide climate of uncertainty and insecurity where we must reconcile the proper balance between issues of national security and our civil liberties. We are also affected by the changing demographics of race, ethnicity and age.

Looking to our future, the JACL constantly assesses the effectiveness of its role in Japanese American, Asian Pacific American and civil rights communities, and what infrastructure is necessary to effectively support our mission and efficiently achieve our goals. Today, with inter-racial and multi-ethnic marriages changing the face of the Japanese American community, the JACL faces additional challenges in looking to its future and to the future of the Japanese American community.

The San Fernando Valley JACL (By Jean-Paul de Guzman)Under the leadership and foresight of Tom Imai and other Nisei, the San Fernando Valley Japanese American Citizens League was established in 1942 and "reactivated" after World War II. During the 1960s, our chapter, under Robert Moriguchi, worked with other civil rights organizations in the Valley on issues of fair housing and human relations. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, San Fernando Valley JACL Board Members such as Nancy Gohata, Tak Yamamoto, Phil Shigekuni and Paul Tsuneishi actively worked on organizing the first Manzanar Pilgrimages and advocated tirelessly for Redress and Reparations. Since the 1990s, the Board offered programming dedicated to the changing demographics of the Japanese American community as well as LGBT rights in Asian American communities and beyond. Today, the Valley chapter and its board members continue to educate the public about the Japanese American experience and fight for social justice issues including, but not limited to, immigration reform, marriage equality, the protection of civil liberties, challenging hate speech, and youth empowerment.

In addition to these activities, we sponsor a wide range of social events as well as a scholarship program for talented high school seniors in the San Fernando Valley. Currently we are embarking on a college internship program. Although many of our activities speak to the wider Asian American community we are also committed to the preservation of Japanese American cultures and host various educational programs for youth such as Children's Day and Suzume No Gakkou. We sponsor regular outings to performances at East West Players and often bring different plays and movie screenings to the San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center. Chapter members have also been instrumental in recording the history of the San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community for future generations through the Telling Our Stories Oral History Project and Katarou Histories Project. Our board members also participate in the Tuna Canyon Detention Station Coalition, an organization dedicated to research on and education about TCDS, a WWII-era "enemy alien" internment camp in nearby Sunland-Tujunga.

Vision

Aware of our responsibilities as the oldest and largest Asian Pacific American civil rights organization, JACL strives to promote a world that honors diversity by respecting values of fairness, equality and social justice.

Mission

The Japanese American Citizens League is a national organization whose ongoing mission is to secure and maintain the civil rights of Japanese Americans and all others who are victimized by injustice and bigotry. The leaders and members of the JACL also work to promote cultural, educational and social values and preserve the heritage and legacy of the Japanese American community.